Springbank Community High School

1. 2010-2011 Planning Springbank Community High School Group thinking

2. Setting the Context • Why are we here? • What we hope to accomplish today…

3. Group Process Agreements • We will honor everyone’s ideas • We will not interrupt the process • We will attend to the time • We will participate fully in the process

4. Groupings • You will work as a table group initially. • Please point to the table facilitator.

5. Focus Question • “What will we see in place next school year when our students demonstrate a commitment to life long learning, to leadership, and to civic responsibility as they use technology to deepen understanding?”

6. Creating “Word Pictures” “What will we see and/or hear next school year when our students demonstrate a commitment to life long learning, to leadership, and to civic responsibility as they use technology to deepen understanding?” • An example might be: We would see and hear all students taking their learning beyond the classroom walls.

7. Powerful Word Pictures • Each person individually (no conversation please) makes a list of 4-5 things you would see and/or hear if our mission were in place? (own sheet of paper). • We want to see short, pithy phrases that are power packed with words everyone including the average person on the street would understand. • Do not repeat words from the question. Be as specific and concrete as possible.

8. Prioritizing our word pictures Number your word pictures in priority order (1 being at the top of your list). • Facilitators always go first, share theirs, and record everyone’s #1. If someone has already given yours, go to your #2. • Each table will have a list of #1 word pictures.

9. Clarifying Word Pictures • Facilitators, please guide the group through a clarification of everyone’s #1 word picture.

10. Voting at the table on top 2 word pictures • Facilitators, please give everyone 2 sticky dots to vote. • Quietly (no discussion please) everyone vote on 2 word pictures at your table. • The number one vote getter for your table will be shared with the whole group.

11. Reporting and Recording • Each table leader will share your table’s #1 word picture. • Amy will record and number your word pictures on chart paper for everyone to see.

12. Any duplication? • Is there any duplication? • If so, let’s collapse them.

13. Group vote • Facilitators please give everyone 2 dots to vote.

14. Amy reads out top 3 vote getters

15. To begin • Today, you will only address the top vote getter. • Later, after you have accomplished most of what you set out to accomplish with the #1 vote getter, you tackle #2 and so on.

16. The BIG question: What’s stopping you? • List 5 reasons on your paper (no discussion, please) that you believe are stopping you. • Do not say money or time (we have all the time there is --we just have to reprioritize and we can always find money) • DO NOT use “lack of” because it is always something. It is not a lack of something. • We will begin working quietly and independently.

17. Prioritizing our personal reasons • Prioritize your reasons. • Remember NOtime, $, or “lack of” as your reason • Guided by your facilitator, share your #1 at your table. Go to your #2 if your #1 has already been given. Facilitators, please record everyone’s #1 reason on the chart paper. • Clarify your reasons to make sure everyone understands.

18. Voting • Facilitators will give each person 2 dots to vote. • Everyone votes on the two reasons you find are really stopping you. (no discussion please) • Each table will have onereason to share with the whole group.

19. Each table’s #1 reason

20. Within our control? • Let’s now look at those things over which we have control. • If we do not have control, we throw it out. (We don’t want to waste our time.) • Assume that given the opportunity, people will do the right thing.

21. Voting on #1 reason • Facilitators give everyone 2 dots to vote for their number 1 reason (whole group). • No discussion, please.

22. #1 Reason is

23. Now, we are going to get to the root cause We must pull out the root cause. Otherwise, it’ll continue to be an issue and may remain hidden.

24. Reason: • Why… 2. 3. 4. 5.

25. Did we get to the root cause? What’s next? ?

26. Root Causes for Number 1 Vision Word Picture

27. Margo’s Example • When students demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning (sample word pictures) • Students will score high on state tests ** • Students will increase their use of the library resources ** • Students will complete challenging projects provided by dedicated and committed teachers ******* (top vote getter) • Teachers will work together to develop capstone projects that can have a carryover effect in the community ****

28. What’s stopping us from having Students complete challenging projects provided by dedicated and committed teachers ******* • Teachers do not collaborate***** (top vote getter) • There is too much content to devote time to project work • Students are not motivated to go beyond their immediate requirements

29. Teachers do not collaborate (each will become an action step) • Why don’t teachers collaborate? There are no structures to support collaboration. 2. Why are there no structures to support collaboration? The faculty as a whole does not value it. 3. Why doesn’t the faculty as a whole value collaboration? They prefer to work independently. 4. Why do they prefer to work independently? They do not see value in what their colleagues can offer. 5. Why don’t they see value in what their colleagues can offer? They have not had opportunities to see how what they do supports what their colleagues do.

30. Each answer becomes an action step • There are no structures to support collaboration • Action Step #1: Create a structure to support collaboration during and after school Who: Interested teachers Person Responsible: elected chair from the group What: Create a chart and post in the lounge of who’s working on what in their classrooms Meet once a week to discuss possible joint projects Formulate joint plans of 2-5 teachers working on interdisciplinary projects When: By May 2010 celebrate success Direct Evidence of progress: Minutes of meetings Cost: none because it is all voluntary

31. The faculty as a whole does not value it • Action Step #2: Offer the entire faculty an opportunity to network and share • Who? Committed teachers • What? Create a wiki where teachers can post fun stuff, ideas, share projects • When? By June 15, 2010, invite all teachers to the faculty to wiki to post ideas • Evidence of progress: populated wiki • Cost? None all voluntary

32. Sign up for one reason turned into an action plan • Everyone please sign up. We need all the action plans covered. • Redistribute the group • Table 1—reason #1 • Table 2---reason #2 • Table 3---reason #3 • Table 4---reason #4 • Table 5---reason #5

34. Celebrate Success • Set a date to reconvene and celebrate your success stories. • Later tackle Vision Word Picture #2 following the same process.

35. They prefer to work independently • Action Step #3: Create voluntary teams that meet electronically and invite each other into their classrooms • Who? Interested teachers • What? Provide teachers professional development in coaching and create a schedule of peer coaching and visitations • When? By July 1, 2010 • Evidence of progress? Peer coaching schedule • Cost? None—all volunteers

36. They do not see value in what their colleagues can offer • Action Step #4: Develop a “Way to Go, colleagues” web page • Who: a committee of teachers • What: elicit “Way to go” comments from colleagues about the work of other teachers • When? By May 2010 • Evidence of progress: web page kept current • Cost: none

37. They have not had opportunities to see how what they do supports what their colleagues do. • Action Step #5: Create during the school day and after school opportunities for colleagues to network • Who: administration • What: offer small stipends for after school sessions and where possible create time in the schedule 1 day per month for teachers to meet • When: August 2010 • Evidence of progress: Schedule • Cost: ???